<p>Just curious: I was thinking S1 needs more reaches on what is now a very preliminary list (he's a junior), so I thought I would dip into the forums for some individual colleges and check some out. I ran across a school that I thought might be good, but the posts on there are so polarizing, it gives a really bad impression. I think I would actively discourage him to apply just based on some of the rude things written on there.</p>
<p>Anyone else have that kind of reaction based on posts here? Or a really positive assoc thanks to helpful, friendly posts?</p>
<p>I would take it with a grain of salt.
Seriously, sour grapes won't influence me. Rarely is a school perfect or perfect for everyone. If you and your son like the school - ignore the rest.</p>
<p>I, too, would be extremely wary of letting the atmosphere of posts on a forum such as this sway your impression.</p>
<p>It is very easy for one student, with either an axe to grind or playing games, to create a polarized atmosphere. There can also be students who gang together to do such things. Might not reflect on the general atmosphere of the school AT ALL.</p>
<p>There are also a small (I think) number of impostors - those who pretend to attend one school when they do not, pretend to be who they are not, etc.</p>
<p>I have read (or retained) very few posts that swayed me against a school. </p>
<p>Interestingly, I have read several that have caused me to look up a school I had never heard of. A couple of those have made it to the 'ask D to look at this summer' list.</p>
<p>I see it as a good sign when a large number of posters have positive things to say about a school, or when a forum is especially active.</p>
<p>I have sent PMs to posters who appear to have experience with a school and all have been gracious about responding. I find this information invaluable.</p>
<p>It is generally fairly easy to read between the lines and see if someone has an ax to grind or just is reporting on something that made a school a poor fit for a particular student.</p>
<p>I must say that the fact that the entire Tulane forum is currently about chances of getting in rather than actually discussing the school has left me with something of a negative impression.</p>
<p>For what it's worth--I've gotten most of my impressions of schools from the parents forum. The student forums can be somewhat helpful, but the posts are sometimes emotional, self-involved and lack detailed info. If I check them out, I invariablely develop a slightly skewed view. They are a nice supplement (and 'real world voice') to more substantive information. No offense to the kids! Some are very mature and helpful---and, given their busy schedules, it's nice when they do reach out to help others. (I was very self-involved at that age, too! lol)</p>
<p>Posts That Move You Off The Fence = sharp ones.</p>
<p>Post #5: New Orleans was just named the most dangerous city in the country. It has, among other activities, the highest murder rate in the nation. Cleveland & St. Louis were among the top five most dangerous US cities.</p>
<p>Take all of these with a grain of salt. NYU had a rash of suicides a few years back-- and the boards here were awash with stories of horrified parents and students who "would never attend NYU". The next year it was Cornell. Etc. The posts seem to ignore the fact that at a large school, the number of suicides in any 10 year period is likely to be a much bigger number than at a small school- multiply the rate of suicides among 18-22 year olds by the student population, DUH, as my kids would say.</p>
<p>New Orleans may be dangerous but then again, two girls from BU died in an apartment fire last winter, and several students in NY died from meningitis last year over winter break. Do you really think these statistics tell you anything meaningful?</p>
<p>Posts about city crime aren't that interesting to me, as the power of these forums in my opinion is hearing first hand experience of specific institutions.</p>
<p>In the case of Tulane, I took interest in the views of JeremyBeach and it gave me pause when he decided to transfer out. It wasn't so much that I felt the school should be crossed off the list based on what he had to say -- it's probably just one data point that would cause me to want to dig deeper.</p>
<p>Click on Jeremy's name and look at his other posts. he's transferring out of Univ. of Miami, affter being elated at getting in a few months back. It looks to me that he doesn't do enough homework before committing to a school.</p>
<p>Blossom: Yes, I do find the statistics meaningful; this is especially true for New Orleans which has the wealthiest & poorest sections of the city intermixed in a checkerboard style due to the history of servants quarters being placed within walking distance of the main house. Having lived in New Orleans & being very familiar with the Uptown area where Tulane & Loyola are located, I can vouch for the deceptive allure of safety in this area.
I disagree with almost every word of Post #8 as I would suggest taking Post #8 with a huge grain of salt.</p>
<p>HighlandMom, that's interesting -- this is the kind of thing it is important to know when assessing comments from a poster -- although Tulane and University of Miami are often thought to be similar, so maybe that adds evidence to the fact that they are, at least in some regards!</p>
<p>He also got a good scholarship for Univ of Miami, I believe.</p>
<p>And the obsession by some (or is it one?( posters on this thread re crime statistics in a couple of different cities.... is helpful to the OP in what way?</p>
<p>It wouldnt be the school threads that would concern me the most- because people tend to complain more than praise & it is my impression that most are students - some high school students- who have 2nd or 3rd hand info.</p>
<p>However- when general themes keep popping up, on parent boards as well as other- that I would look into.</p>
<p>Schools that expel students who notify them when there is a danger of a drug/alcohol overdose, schools that don't notify students in a timely manner of dangers on campus & immediately off campus- like numbers & locations of armed assaults, and schools that give good financial aid freshman year & nothing the next three years- are all talked about on CC- and good to know before you fall in love with a school.</p>
<p>If the posters for a particular college are posting something very specific it might warrant investigation. Otherwise, probably >99% of the students at that college aren't posting here so the sample size is extremely small and likely very skewed.</p>
<p>I have to admit that two years ago I liked the kids who were applying to MIT and Caltech better than the ones applying to Harvard. There also used to be a really, really snotty Harvard student on the Harvard boards who thankfully seems to have moved on. I do think they reflect the student bodies in some small way. What can I say, I mostly dated and ended up marrying a science nerd, but there were plenty of them at Harvard. For me the posts were mostly helpful in making me cognizant of things I might want to research further - either at a visit or via the website.</p>
<p>mathmom, the particular forum I read indicated the school had a big Greek scene. That might be attractive for some, but my son has only ruled out one college we've visited and it was because of the Greek scene. Now, of course there are people who aren't Greeks and, yes, you can find other like-minded people, etc. But if there's a prevailing culture you always have to work around, why not just find a school with a prevailing culture you really like? Another post on that forum seemed to indicate that minorities might have an issue. Another post talked about how looks-conscious people were. Ugh. It just left a bad taste in my mouth.</p>
<p>You are looking through a tiny,tiny peephole when checking out colleges. Whatever happens to cross that tiny area is what you hear and see. The same things could be happening at any school and you just may not have been around to hear the news at that time.<br>
If you hear something that is important to you, it can be useful as something to check in EVERY school that your child is considering. Things like Greek life on campus, difficulty in registering for classes, low upper class financial aid, disciplinary policies may be issues that are not on your list until you hear complaints or discussion about them. That they are about a specific school does not mean that it is not an issue at other, perhaps all schools. </p>
<p>When you visit, a school, the viewing window is larger, but then again, you have the same issue. A bad visit, a bad school guide, even a bad admissions office does not mean that the school is not the best match for your kid. We had a terrible visit at a school that would have been great for S2, and he had a hard time separating that experience from the school. Whole different situation, but hard to get that out of the picture.</p>